Why is it hard for us to learn a new language?

What language (or languages) do you currently speak? The language you speak depends on how difficult it is to learn a new language. If you speak Spanish or Italian, learning Portuguese or French will be relatively easy because they are known as Romance languages. If you speak Czech, learning Russian will be simple because they are considered Slavic languages. Of course, if you speak Spanish and try to learn Russian, it will be more challenging. Learning a new language always takes time and effort, but some languages are easier to learn than others. The left hemisphere of the brain is typically associated with language because it understands the components of language – like vocabulary and syntax, while the right hemisphere helps us with inferences. The right hemisphere also helps us comprehend music. The scientists discovered that some languages, like English, can be read with only the left hemisphere, while others rely on both hemispheres. A tonal language, like Chinese, utilizes both hemispheres because the left hemisphere focuses on the characters, while the right hemisphere sounds them out. Learning a language that requires both hemispheres may be harder for people whose native language relies on the left hemisphere only.
Adapted from http:///hotword.dictionary.com




Vocabulary
Romance languages- group of related languages all derived from Vulgar Latin within historical times and forming a subgroup of the Italic branch of the Indo-European language family. (The major languages of the family include French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Romanian.)
Slavic languages- group of Indo-European languages spoken in most of eastern Europe, much of the Balkans, parts of central Europe, and the northern part of Asia. ( Some include Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Czech, Croatian, Bulgarian, Slovenian, and Macedonian.)
Left hemisphere- left side of the brain which is used for language, math and logic.
Right hemisphere- right side of the brain is used for spatial abilities, face recognition, visual imagery and music.
Inferences- the act or process of arriving at a conclusion
Comprehend- to understand or take in the meaning of something
Tonal language- a language in which pitch is used as a part of speech, changing the meaning of a word. (Tonal languages are found primarily in Asia, Africa, and South America.)

Vocabulary Exercise- Writing activity
After reading the article, think about your first language you speak. Why is it hard for you to learn English or a second language other than your own? Which hemisphere(s) of the brain does your first language require?

To read about more information of the brain go to: http://www.brainpop.com/health/bodysystems/brain http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/split.html

Grammar Point
A preposition is a word governing, and usually coming in front of, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element, as in:

To express one point in time English uses the following prepositions: On is used with days: I will see you on Monday. At is used with noon, night, midnight, and with the time of day: The movie starts at 6 p.m. In is used with other parts of the day, with months, with years, with seasons: He likes to read in the afternoon.

To express extended time, English uses the following prepositions: since, for, by, from—to, from-until, during,(with)in.

To express notions of place, English uses the following prepositions: to talk about the point itself: in, to express something contained: inside, to talk about the surface: on, to talk about a general vicinity, at

Grammar Exercise
Decide which preposition belongs in the sentence.
1)She has been gone ______yesterday. (for/since)
2)I'm going _____ Paris for two weeks. (to/at)
3)Put the present _________ the box. (on/inside)
4)I left your keys ______ the table. (on/in)
5)The week begins _____ Sunday. (in/on)
6)The movie starts ______ 6 p.m. (at/on)
7)The book was published ______ 1999. (by/in)
8) She was waiting ________ the corner. (on/at)